The 10 Weirdest Facts About Venus

Welcome to Venus

Venus, the second planet from the sun, is an oddity in many ways.

With this week's ultra-rare transit of Venus, in which the planet will pass in front of the sun as seen from Earth on Tuesday (June 5), we here at SPACE.com think it's a great time to take a look at the peculiar quirks of one of our closest neighbors in the solar system.

Without further ado, here are the top 10 weirdest things about the planet Venus.
FIRST STOP: Venusian Volcanoes

Venusian Volcanoes

Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA; image created by Ryan Ollerenshaw and Eric DeJong of the Solar System Visualization Group, JPL.

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Venusian Volcanoes

There are more volcanoes on Venus than on any other planet in the solar system. Astronomers know of more than 1,600 volcanoes on its surface, but there are likely many more too small for us to see. Scientists think most of these are dormant, though a handful may still be active.

NEXT: Days Longer Than Years

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Where Days Outlast Years

Photo Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA

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Where Days Outlast Years

A day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days (that's how long it takes Venus to make one rotation), while a year on Venus (its revolution period around the sun) is shorter, at just 224.7 Earth days.

Venus, Earth's Twin?

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Earth's Twin

Photo Credit: NASA

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Earth's Twin

Of all the solar system's planets, Venus is the closest to a twin of Earth. The two bodies are nearly of equal size, and Venus' composition is largely the same as Earth's. The orbit of Venus is also the closest to Earth's of any solar system planet. Both worlds have relatively young surfaces, and both have thick atmospheres with clouds (however, it's worth nothing that Venus' clouds are mostly made of poisonous sulfuric acid).